A Fresh Start
by Dreamer of Tales
Summary: Buffy falls through the portal and shows Jack and his team a side of earth they didn't even know existed.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I'm just a poor university student. None of these characters belong to me. I'm just borrowing them. I definitely won't be making any money from this . . . so please don't sue.

I have been reading fan fiction for a while and thought I might try my hand at it. This is my first chapter so please send me some constructive criticism. What works, what doesn't, ... should I continue?

Dawn felt tears stream down her face as she caught one last glimpse of her sister as she disappeared over the edge of the platform. So much pain and so many struggles to avoid this very moment. Buffy and all the scoobies had given everything to prevent Glory's plan from succeeding. Even with the hell goddess' death; a price had to be paid . . .

Buffy took one last look at her sister's face as she turned away and began to run towards the end of the platform. As she leaped off the edge, the faces of all those she loved flashed before her eyes. She felt tears prick her eyes, at the thought that she would never see the friends who had become so close to her over the past few years, ever again. She would never see her friends get married and have children. She would never see her sister graduate high school, let alone college. But then a feeling of peace spread through her and one thought overcame all the others. She may never see these events occur, but she knew that she was making the world a safer place for the people that she loved, so that they could live . . . so that they could achieve their dreams.

There was a brilliant flash of light. Giles blinked his eyes to get rid of the spots. As his eyesight cleared, he saw the still form of the daughter of his heart. He shook his head in disbelief as he made his way over to Buffy. It was finished. All their hard work and effort and this was what they had to show for it. They might have defeated the displaced goddess, but at what price. She was gone. This time forever . . .

Jack sat at his desk trying to clear the mountain of paperwork that threatened to topple off his desk and into his garbage can. It seemed as if his team was actually going to have a quiet week, the perfect time, according to General Hammond, to clear his desk. It seemed that a week never passed without his team getting involved in some sort of 'save the world mission', which definitely explained why the pile of paperwork was taking over his office space. Jack groaned in frustration, as he again looked at the stack of paperwork that threatened to take out his cup of sludge that SOME people at the facility actually liked to pass off as coffee. What he wouldn't give for something to interrupt this . . . a loud klaxon sounded, interrupting the soldier's thoughts. So much for that peaceful paperwork session he thought gleefully as he raced out of his office.

"Unauthorized star gate use . . ." Jack heard interspersed with the loud klaxon as the doors to the gate room slid open. As the doors slid open, he stopped in his tracks as he stared at the normally water-like event horizon. Instead of its normal blue, it was pulsing a deep blood red colour. As Jack looked around, he saw that the rest of his team was there, along with the marines who were armed and looked ready to deal with anything. Jack began to cautiously approach the ramp to stand beside the rest of his team.

As Jack and his team watched, the gate stopped it's pulsing and began to ripple in a steady pattern. Before anybody could take another step, something, or rather someone, flew out through the gate and landed at their feet. The gate winked out and the only sound to be heard was the laboured breathing of the body lying at their feet. "Somebody page Dr. Fraiser ," Jack yelled, as he knelt down beside the bruised and battered young woman.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Buffy and Stargate are definitely not mine. No profit will be made so please don't sue.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed and read my first chapter. You guys really gave me incentive to continue my writing. Sorry for the delay in posting but it is exam time, so life is very busy.

The dial tone brought Giles out of his daze and he dropped the receiver into its cradle. Well, that had been a very informative, yet extremely infuriating conversation with Quentin Travers. The wanker, was unfortunately still the head of the watchers council.According to Travers, within weeks of Buffy's death, Faith had coincidentally been killed in the prison showers by a fellow inmate. There was a new watcher coming to town, along with the newly chosen slayer. This slayer had been raised from a young age by the council and was ready to do her duty without the distractions of friends or family. Giles had been informed that as his services were no longer needed with the new slayer; he was to return to England, if he wished to continue working with the council and it's resources.

The past few months had been both trying and eventful . A few days after Buffy had died, Giles had cast a spell to determine the fate of his slayer. According to the results of the spell, Buffy was finally at peace, as she had found her place in heaven. Buffy had left sole custody of Dawn to Giles in the event of her death; as Hank Summers had signed away any rights he had, after Joyce's untimely death. He had already talked with Dawn about their options for the future. During this conversation, they had both come to agree, that with Buffy's death fresh in their minds, it might just be easier for them to move on with life, away from the memories and dangers of the hell mouth. The Scoobies were still reeling from the loss of the slayer, and Dawn had agreed it would hurt too much to stay. She wanted a fresh start, in order to start living the life her sister had died to give her. Giles took a deep breath and decided that it was time to call everyone together for one last Scooby meeting.

Giles glanced around the table to see the sad faces of Dawn, Xander, Willow, and Tara looking back at him. Spike sat sullenly, as he slouched down in a chair beside Dawn. He had shown his true colours immediately after Buffy's death, by stepping in to both console and protect Dawn; while the others had hunted down the creatures, which had gotten through the gate before Buffy's leap from the tower. When Giles had thanked him for his help, Spike had just muttered, "I promised the Slayer I would keep an eye out for the nibblet."

Anya sat beside Xander, continuing to count the money from the day's sales, which she had begun earlier, while she waited for everyone to arrive for the meeting. As she counted, Giles noticed her sending sidelong glances towards Xander. He knew that although she was not very close to Buffy, she was worried about Xander's reaction to Buffy's death. While every member of the group had pulled together, to keep each other going after the death of both Joyce and Buffy, the faces in front of him looked tired and without hope.

"So G-man, what did you want to talk to us about?" quipped Xander.

"Xander, how many times must I remind you not to refer to me by that... name!" sighed Giles in response to Xander's weak attempt at humour.

"Sorry, Giles,"Xander replied with a sad smile. "What was it that you wanted to tell us?"

Giles sighed and took off his glasses while he contemplated the faces surrounding him and the information he was about to share with the group. He pulled out his handkerchief and began to polish the lenses.

"Oh no, lense polishing means not so good news, as in apocalypse news. Giles, please don't tell me that we are in for another apocalypse with no slayer in sight?" yelped Willow.

Giles smiled sadly as he began to share the decisions which he and Dawn had made over the past couple of weeks. He knew that Spike would obviously journey back to England with the two of them. It remained to be seen what the others would decide to do with their futures.

"So kid, how ya bin doin?" drawled someone with a very distinct accent.

Buffy groaned as she raised her head up from where she lay on the floor. She was in a brilliantly, white room and yes her ears were in full working order. In front of her stood the one person she did not expect to see in the afterlife. Whistler wore a white suit over a loud patterned shirt and he was of course, wearing his trademark hat.

"So are ya gonna answer me?" he asked with a grin.

"Whistler, why am I here with **you** instead of with my mom in heaven?"asked Buffy in a rising voice.

Whistler's grin faded away, and he looked at her in sympathy as she climbed unsteadily to her feet. He felt for her, he really did. She had had so much thrown at her over the past few years and he was about to add to it. But it was her destiny and it was his job to explain it to her.

"I'm sorry kid. It's just the way things turned out. You weren't supposed to die. The powers didn't see that one coming. But now that it's happened, it's too good an opportunity to pass up."

Whistler choked as she grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him up against the wall. "What do you mean...too good to pass up? Buffy yelled into his face.

"Because of the choice you made, you're a free agent. You can't go to heaven since it's not your time," croaked Whistler.

"Why can't I just go back then,"she cried out in pain.

"You can't do that. Tell you what kid, I'll tell ya everything you want to know, just put me down," said Whistler. Buffy looked at him in horror as she let him slide down to rest on his own feet.

"Look kid, this doesn't mean that you won't someday end up in heaven. You're just gonna take the longer road. You can't go back to your reality, because it would upset the balance. If the Powers put you back on the game board, they would have to give the other side a concession. They can't let that to happen,"explained Whistler.

"But what about Dawn? Who's going to take care of her and keep her safe? She needs me,"said Buffy.

"Time moves differently here. You don't have to worry about her. She's got Giles and Spike looking out for her. The watcher did a spell, and the Powersshowed him that you were in heaven. They've already buried your body, and they are starting to move on with their lives. A new slayer and watcher are coming to Sunnydale and the Scooby gang is moving to England where it will be safer for Dawn," he explained.

"Where am I supposed to go then,"she whispered.

"You can't go back to Earth in your reality. **But** that doesn't mean you can't go back to Earth. It will just be a different version. In this reality, there was never a slayer line, so you won't tip the balance. The Powers need you in place to deal with what's coming. You'll have a chance to work with people who will understand and respect your abilities. This is a chance for you to have a new life. It's your choice what you make of it."

"Some choice," she whispered as she gazed unseeingly at the white floor. Buffy looked defeated and broken as she tried to comprehend the information Whistler had given her. Her life as she knew it was over, and she had no choice in the direction it would go in now.

"Don't worry, you won't be alone when you wake up...you can trust them" Buffy heard as the room began to fade away.

As Janet Fraiser checked the young woman's vitals, the patient began to groan and show signs of waking up from her coma.


End file.
